Automatic signal for electric railways.



No. 674,523. Patented m 2|, 19m.

7 C. H. STORM. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FCR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1900.)

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No. 674,523. Patented May 2|, I90l.

C. H. STORM.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOB ELEGTRlC BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1900.)

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I UNITED ST TES PATENT DFFICE.

CHARLES H. STORM, OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, RALPH L.STORM, EDWIN M. STORM, AND CHARLES S. CHASE, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674.523, dated May21, 1901.

Application filed August 28,1900. Serial No. 28,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. STORM, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signalsfor Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic signals for electric railways; and itconsists in the novel construction,combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of signaling for suchelectric railways as are operated with'a single track, so designed as toprevent collisions between cars when headed in opposite directions onany part of the line where for any reason a view of the track isobscured. I am aware that various forms of contact devicesare in use,whereby pressure derived from the trolleywheel on a car operatesapparatus for light ing or extinguishing lamps or moving signals; butthe particular object of my invention is to provide an apparatus sosimplified in its construction as to minimize wear of the parts andwhose contact devices are dependent upon gravity in regaining theirpositions 0 when not otherwise in operation, thus doing away with thenecessity of using springs, which will rust out, and always beingcertain in operation.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 5 drawings, wherein similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the severalviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the signalin g devices with itsconnections as used 6 at one end of a section. Fig. 2 is a top plan Viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the form of signaling deviceas used at the other end of the section. Fig. 4 is a top plan View ofthe same. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of the signalingdevices as used at both ends of the block or section of railway-track,showing method of operation.

P represents a single track having turnout-tracks at either end of thesection. To the trolley-wire Z at any suitable locations near the endsof the section are attached, by means of the insulators T '1, thecontact signaling devices, which are also supported from a suitablepoint above by guy-wires T T. A frame A, which is'hung on the insulatorsT T, is provided with openings through which the gravity-plungers O andG move vertically. Each of these plungers move on slideways over studsfixed on the inner sides of the openings, as indicated by the dottedlines at H and H.

The releaser-plunger C is provided with a metallic cap D, whose endsextend over and are bent down over the sides of the plunger a sufficientdistance to bring them into contact with conductors E and E.

To the binding-post O,which passes through the conductor E, is connectedthe Wire M, and the latter is brought into electrical contact with thetrolley wire Z. Normally when there is-no car on the section the plunger0, drawn by gravity, is in the position shown in Fig. 1, having the endsof the metallic plate D in contact, respectively, with the couductors Eand E.

The plunger G moves vertically upon slideways over studs H in a similarmanner to that ofthe plunger 0 and is constructed, as

is O, with itslower head shaped in an elliptic curve. This head hasextensions beyond the shank to keep the movement of the plunger withinproper limits.

Each plunger G is, like each plunger 0, raised by the passage of thetrolley-wheel beneath it; but while the plungers Cdrop back by gravitythe plungers Gare held in elevated position by their electromagnets J,which are thrown into circuit by contact of the conductors L L, which isefiected when the plungers G are raised.

F represents a box attached to the upper surface of the frame A, itslower opening registering with the opening in the frame in which theplunger G moves. Upon the top of the box F is'fixed the electromagnet J,its pole-piece I passing through-a perforation in the box and extendinga short distance below.

In the middle of the top surface of the plunger G is embedded anarmature K. Fastened to the side of the plunger G, above the frame A, isa metallic band L, forming a conductor, and to which is attached the endof the wire U by means of a binding-post.

L represents a metallic band fastened at one end to the upper surface ofthe frame A near the box F, and which band is bent into a form whichleaves its free end impending over the conductor L and but a shortdistance above it. The conductor L has communication with theelectromagnet J by means of the wire B. When the section P is clear, theplunger G, drawn by gravity, falls into the position shown in Fig. 1,disconnecting the conductors L and L, the circuit being broken betweenthe trolley-wire Z and the lamps, leaving them unlighted.

Y, Y, and Y are feed-wires designed as means of communication betweenthe separate signal devices at the ends of the section. The wire Nconnects the releaser O with the feed-wire Y, while the electromagnet Jhas a wire S extending from the upper part of its coil to the lamps W W.The wire Y operates to conduct the current from the lamps W to theground.

The wire U forms a means of communica- Tion between the post 0 on theplunger 0 and-- a single-track section, as at P, moving in the direction2, the quiescent apparatus is not affected when the trolley-wheel Zpasses under and raises the plunger 0, as G, drawn back by gravity,restablishes circuit through D, E, and E. When the trolley-wheel in turnpasses under and lifts the plunger G, said plunger remains in anelevated position and is held there by reason of the magnetic attractionbetween the excited electromagnet J and its armature K. The current fromthe feed-wire M is now passing through the electromagnet J. As theconductor L is brought, by reason of its elevation with the plunger G,into contact with the free end of the bent conductor L the currentpasses thence through wire R to the electromagnet J. The lamps W W and WW are thus lighted by current from trolley-wire now pass ing directlythrough wire M and its connections at E, the Wire U, conductors L and L,the electromagnet J, wires S, and thence by wires X, Y, and V to lamps WW wire X, through conductors E I) E X to ground. As the car moves on,all the lamps remain lighted until the car passes from the section andthe trolley-wheel Z impinges upon the releaser C. When the releaser C israised, the circuit is broken between the conductors D, E and E ,'andthe armature K is released by the electro magnet I J, the plunger Gdropping back into position by its gravity, and the lights insignal-lamps at W \V and W W are extinguished, signifying to a motorneerapproaching from an opposite direction that the section is clear ahead.In case a car is entering the section P, moving in the direction 1, thesection being clear and lamps unlighted, the operation of the signalingdevice is similar to that already described, except that the current forlighting the lamps is derived in the following manner: The establishingof electrical communication by the contacts of the conductors L and Lbrings the current first from the trolley-wire by wire M, conductors E,D, and E, wires N Y N, conductors L and L wire L electromagnet J, wiresS Y V to lamps W W, thence by wires X Y V to lamps W W thence by wire Xto conductors E D E and wire X to ground. Semaphore or hell signals maybe connected with this system, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic signal for electric railways, the combination with anelectric generator and a trolley-wire; of a frame having openings,gravity contact-plungers movable vertically in said opening and adaptedto be actuated by a trolley-wheel, armatures on said plungers in circuitwith electromagnets above the trolley-wire, gravity releasing-plungersmovable vertically in other openings in said frame and provided withcontact-conductors adapted to move vertically when actuated by thepressureof a trolley-wheel and break the electrical circuit through theconductors, conductors for carrying a current from the trolley-wire tothe releasing and contact plungers and thence to and from signallamps,signal-lamps situated at either end of a section of track, in circuitwith the gravity contact-plungers, means for grounding the current fromthe signal-lamps, trolley-actuated mechanism for elevating thegravity-plungers, with suitable connections and supports, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. In an automatic signal for electric railways, the combination withthe trolley-wheel, the trolley-wire connectedwith a suitable electricgenerator, signal -lamps connected with each other and with the groundand located at each end of a track-section, and a frame held oninsulated supports above each end of said section; of two plungersmovable vertically in each frame and raised by the trolley-wheel butadapted to fall by gravity, an electromagnet above one plunger, twonormally-separated conductors of whic-lnope is in circuit with the coilsof this magnet and the other is connected with the plunger-body,

two conductors adjacent the other plunger, a

the frame A, wires T, insulators T, the gravity contact-plunger Gadapted to move vertically over studs in slideways H, the armature Kembedded in non=eonducting material in the upper portion of the plungerG, the conductors L and L, the box F, the electromaguet I J, the wiresR, S'and U, the re- 1easing gravity-plunger C adapted to move verticallyWithin an opening in frame Aover studs in the slideways H, theconductors D, E and E, the binding-posts O and O, the box B, the wires Mand N, the feed-Wires Y, Y and Y the lamps W, the wires X, V, V and X,the lamps W W the Wires S, N, electromagnet. I J, box F, plunger G,armature K embedded in. non-conducting material in the upper portion ofthe plunger G, conductors L L wire L ground-wire X releasinggravity-plunger 0, box F, conductors D, E and E frame A and track P,substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the track P, trolley car and wheel Z, electricalgenerator Z trolley-wire Z, 'wires T, insulators T, frame A, box B,releasing-plunger O, stud and slideways H, conductors D, E and E,bindingposts 0 and 0, Wires M, N and U, contactplunger G, stud andslideways H, electromagnet I J, armature K embedded in noneonductingmaterial in the upper part of the plunger G, conductors L and L, box F,Wires R and S, feeds-Wires Y, Y and Y lamps W, W and W Wconducting-Wires V, X, V, X, N, S, L and X frame A, gravity releasing-plunger O, studs and slideways H conductors D, E and E binding-postsO and 0 box B, gravity contact-plunger G, electromagnet I J, armature Kembedded 'in non-conducting material in the upper portion of the gravitycontact-plunger G, the studs and slideways H the conductors L and L andthe box F, with suitable connections and supports, substantially asshown and de-' scribed.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 21st day of August, 1900.

CHARLES H. STORM. Witnesses:

FRANK MCDONALD, M. E. KENNEDY.

